Now when
they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia,
they came to Thessalonica, where was a synagogue
of the Jews:
02 And Paul, as his manner was, went in unto
them, and three sabbath days reasoned with them
out of the scriptures,
03 Opening and alleging, that Christ must needs
have suffered, and risen again from the dead; and
that this Jesus, whom I preach unto you, is
Christ.
04 And some of them believed, and consorted with
Paul and Silas; and of the devout Greeks a great
multitude, and of the chief women not a few.
05 But the Jews which believed not, moved with
envy, took unto them certain lewd fellows of the
baser sort, and gathered a company, and set all
the city on an uproar, and assaulted the house of
Jason, and sought to bring them out to the
people.
06 And when they found them not, they drew Jason
and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city,
crying, These that have turned the world upside
down are come hither also;
07 Whom Jason hath received: and these all do
contrary to the decrees of Caesar, saying that
there is another king, one Jesus.
08 And they troubled the people and the rulers of
the city, when they heard these things.
09 And when they had taken security of Jason, and
of the other, they let them go.
10 And the brethren immediately sent away Paul
and Silas by night unto Berea: who coming thither
went into the synagogue of the Jews.
11 These were more noble than those in
Thessalonica, in that they received the word with
all readiness of mind, and searched the
scriptures daily, whether those things were so.
12 Therefore many of them believed; also of
honourable women which were Greeks, and of men,
not a few.
13 But when the Jews of Thessalonica had
knowledge that the word of God was preached of
Paul at Berea, they came thither also, and
stirred up the people.
14 And then immediately the brethren sent away
Paul to go as it were to the sea: but Silas and
Timotheus abode there still.
15 And they that conducted Paul brought him unto
Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas
and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed,
they departed.
16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his
spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city
wholly given to idolatry.
17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with
the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the
market daily with them that met with him.
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18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans,
and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some
said, What will this babbler say? other some, He
seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods:
because he preached unto them Jesus, and the
resurrection.
19 And they took him, and brought him unto
Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new
doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?
20 For thou bringest certain strange things to
our ears: we would know therefore what these
things mean.
21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which
were there spent their time in nothing else, but
either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)
22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill,
and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in
all things ye are too superstitious.
23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions,
I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE
UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly
worship, him declare I unto you.
24 God that made the world and all things
therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and
earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;
25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as
though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to
all life, and breath, and all things;
26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men
for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and
hath determined the times before appointed, and
the bounds of their habitation;
27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they
might feel after him, and find him, though he be
not far from every one of us:
28 For in him we live, and move, and have our
being; as certain also of your own poets have
said, For we are also his offspring.
29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God,
we ought not to think that the Godhead is like
unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and
man's device.
30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at;
but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which
he will judge the world in righteousness by that
man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given
assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised
him from the dead.
32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the
dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear
thee again of this matter.
33 So Paul departed from among them.
34 Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and
believed: among the which was Dionysius the
Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others
with them.
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